Castle:  The movie Act 1
by arsimckhoi
Summary: The end is just the beginning.  The killer is caught and they profess they're love  kindof  and all hell is about to break loose.  My earlier attempt was called Closure which i removed in favor of this.  If you read it please comment or follow. Completed
1. Chapter 1

**don't own any of this. The way I see the pace of this show it's 1.125 seasons away from this. The whirlwind of romance in chapter 5 is equalled to the break of the case of Beckett's mother being killed. Massive shoutouts to all the fanfic writer from purpleangel to the writer of the Advent series to the writer of Melting Slowly Saga. You guys and/or gals are awesome. Thank you for takin my time. Build up is everything right? Shut up and read it.**

The door to the interrogation room closed behind him. _Closure. _We finally got the sonofabitch. He looked out into the bullpen and he saw Kate. She was leaning over her desk and her eyes had flipped up at the sound of the door closing. She saw him and it was immediate connection. An unspoken conversation had with a single glance. It was more like 3 conversations between them happening at the same time. Like a symbiotic explosion of inhale, exhale all covered in a we need to talk glance. They'd only been officially dating in private for a month and hiding it well but she told him that if they ever catch the killer then she won't give a damn who knows.

The killer was signing his confession. The sonofabitch that killed her mother was confessing. He was turning it all in. He was dooped by his coherts to kill her for asking too many questions. He was going into protective custody, changing names and bringing everybody down with him. His face was heavy with guilt. Her mother not the only one he killed. He was confessing to all of it in exchange for a new life. He'd probably end up mowing lawns on sundays next to mr and mrs american next door neighbor in a pink popped collar shirt, sharing iced tea and keeping his effing mouth shut but they got him. It took a miracle and Castle and another miracle but Kate Beckett decided that for the greater good of all the families that had been effected by the conspiracy that led all the way to the senate of the U.S. And the department of defense she was willing to deliver a "lighter" sentence in exchange for the whole thing to be over and done with. So no one would haunt her again. The killer would be in a sense neutered and she would not be threatened in the future and she would have... _Rick._

Sure there would be a trial. Sure there would be press and questions and he would come up in those questions but she was willing to go through that for what she needed to move on. Hell she'd go see the stupid therapist again to get all the crap out of her mind if need be but she wasn't going to let any emotional trash and garbage and filth and low self esteem or whatever inadequicies she felt she might have. _But damnit I can move on._ She thought. _I can have Rick. _

She locked eyes with him. He was outside the door. She tilted her head towards the elevator. She pointed him with her eyes to the elevator. She pivoted her body and hips towards the elevator. He was not stupid at all but he wanted to see what other body part she would use to indicate ELEVATOR NOW! She then lowered her head and began to walk to the elevator. He began his intercept route to her.

Esposito saw the two hormonally charged adults meeting at the elevator. Picked up his phone and called. When the ringing stopped and he heard a "Hello?" he look at his watch and said "11:27 am." There was no misinterpreting what that ment. About 17 voices each shouted exclamation to "Hell yeah!" to "Thank you Jesus!" for you see the hook up pot had reached $299,487. It was payday in more than one places for sure. The pot had grown quickly over the last 6 months shortly after Castle spotted a detail and Beckett pursued it to vigorous capabilities. Most gathered the stipulations implied by the case. Beckett had pursued the fresh angles harder than her normal self. She had dragged Castle out of a burning building at one point and he had pulled her out of an elevator shaft after the elevator had fallen 17 floors. No one was quite sure what the exact moment of realization occured but just that it had. She had come in one day after they questioned someone quasi linked to the investigation and they just seemd different together. They smiled _at_ each other. They laughed. Who would laugh while someone is investigating their own mothers death? Certainly not Beckett. But sure enough she was and everyone just assumed that something had happened.

* * *

><p>11:27 am. Elevator. Castle grabs her and pressing her against the wall and lowers his head to her. "I love you Kate." Her eyes filled with such joy and want she uncontrollably exhales. There mouths met and mushed and pushed and gave to the ebb and flow of the tongue and muscular wants of the jaw. <em>Ding!<em> The elevator door started to open and as Castle backed away he realized that every part of his body was touching her. Mouth, pelvis, chest, hands and legs were all trying to find a new angle of the body next to them in which to wrap or contort in the partnerly way of saying "Thank you" that he had prayed he get. The door though was a harsh mistress as it opened to reveal that about a dozen or so.. no wait _crap 3 dozen_ cops all standing there with there heads down. All pretending they didn't see a thing. Richard didn't know what to do and just stood there but was tugged away by Kate who was virtually dragging him out into the parking garage. At one point while they were walking away distant "Finally!" was heard.

_**Where's your car?**_ She demanded with her body, mouth and tugging. "Take a right!" He exclaimed. The door to Lot A was insight and he was able to finally tighten his core and bring himself to an upright position and match her step for step. Like no one else ever had. They reached the lot. He reached for his keys. She reach for hers. He got his keys first. "I'll drive" she said. She snatched the keys out so fast it was like a ninja. Like that comic book heroine she metioned that one time. He couldn't remember. She was in a fury to get him where she wanted him. _To his loft._

* * *

><p>Iron Gates herself was quadruple and quintuple checking the confession. Re-re-re and <em>RE<em> examining in her mind the mental checklist of the legality of what was happening. "So you waive your right to a lawyer?" Yes. "You waive your right to remain silent?" Yes. She got a text on her blackberry and all it said was "11:27 am". She barely snuck a smile. She was number 18 in the pot. _Right on time_.

The car was moving fast. Way to fast. Entirely way to fast. Beckett was weaving her way through traffic. Castle was paralyzed with arousal and fear. "If you want to help lean your head out the window and make siren sounds." She smiled and laughed. Snapping out of the degrees of stiffness his body had he pushed the automatic driver side window down and began going "Wooooo OOOOOOOO oooooo WOOOOOOOO..." It was a celebration siren in his mind. In her mind it was a reminder that she had a best friend and _soulmate_. She laughed of course but in her minds eye the "Wall" that so many said she had was falling down brick by brick. Castle going "Wooo?" A beautiful clanky brick sound went off in her head.

This went on for a block or so until Castle ducked back in and rolled up the window wide eyed and giggling like a school gir- okay well school boy but a manly, handsome schoolboy so that made it okay. She loved this man. She was ready and she wasn't going to hold back anymore.

The car finally came to stop although the parking space was by no means in a clearly marked area. Castle didn't seem to care though as soon as the car stopped he rolled out of the car and was running to the driver side of the car where Beckett was buckled over in laugher at his antics and stepping out of the car. "Too fast for you Castle?" He grabbed her hand in sprint and pulled her along his side now, "The speed i've been wanting you to go since we met." She blushed as much as a sprinting detective being pulled by her partner could be. She's wanted this too. When she cuffed the killer herself it was like an emotional weight the size of a car was removed. Her eyes had locked with Castle when she finished her Miranda rights to the killer and the moment was like a void. A gaping hole of black, hollow angst became grey and warmer. Not gone. Just not as bad.

They reached the doorman all giggles and waived "Hi." To which the doorman pulled out his cell phone and began texting.

* * *

><p>Doors don't fly open in the Castle domain. They open yes but they don't <em>FLY<em> open. Today the door explodes nearly off the hinges and it bangs off the wall and eeks it's way back to the stopped position then Castle swings his left foot around catching the outside and using his right leg contracts and then pushes the door closed. Beckett on his toes and mouth mushed and exploring his face and mouth. It's like she's 13 and making out with Justin friggin' Bieber. Her brain raced, 6 years and he was a good boy. He needs to know how I feel about him. "Rick", he is all ears but his mouth is addicted to her lips. She pushes him away a little, "I love you." Castle, with his heart pounding in his throat all he can think to say is "Kate, I-" but it's too late she kisses him again. It a warm, lighter kiss held for what seems like enternity. She releases slightly and Castle pushes back to gain the pressure but she pushes herself away. "I love you, Rick." She says. He knows it. He tries to say something but she shuts his mouth shut with her kiss. "Rick," his name out of her mouth was like a drug. Kate-cain or Kate-ijuana or whatever but he loved hearing his name from her mouth. "I love you more than I have ever loved anyone in this whole world. It makes me sick I went this long without telling you and I want to give you everything I have." He froze like a deer in headlights. "You hear me? Rick?" _I am so going to marry this man. _The thought was a flash. She smiled intinctively and tried to bury it momentarily but realized that every ounce of her being was beating the holy crap out of self imposed wall and would not let it rise again for this man.

_If_ ever Castle was going to tear up in the heat of the moment it would be now. _Man up!_ His muse, his partner, his best friend and the love of his life was telling him he was right. Not just right but _right._ He wasn't Mr. Right Now. He was Mr. Right Always. The kissing had stopped.

* * *

><p>The interrogation had stopped too. Gates had concluded everything. The killer confessed he was trained to assassinate starting from the age of 6 and had a very Eastern Bloc kind of upraising. Mother was a whore and father was a drunk. Cold war left over kind of stuff. Castle would have loved it because it's absolutely reeks of a spy novel. He was on page 26 off his confessions. He had approximately killed 192 people starting in 1981. Various gangsters and people in bars and strangers who decided that a Jersey Shore marathon was enough to make them think they are hard. Informants, jurors and spies had no chance against this guy and <em>we got the sonofabitch.<em> The NYPD was nothing to mess with. Her phone went off with a time off 12:08 pm. It was a text message. A mass text to the Castle pot recipients. Gates heard a distant yelp of celebratory woops and hollaring. _Right on-_

A hand grabbed the back of her hand and she felt the cold interrogation table in front of her right temple, then black.

Her eyelashes curled just right to make a shadow just a bit on her undescribable piercing gaze. It gave that smoldering look that he thought she tried to cover up too much. He was entranced yes but he always seemed entranced by her. This was different. He was about to do something very stupid but it felt so damn right to do it. He stepped back. "How long have we been together?"

"About a month."

"No. I mean like how long have we known each other?"

She lowered her chin and kept her eyes locked with his like a school teacher trying to get an answer out of a mischevious grade schooler. "What are you getting at?"

"I mean..." He stopped. Heart racing and his body sweating now.

"I mean how long as two people have known each other. How long have we been together?"

"Six years about."

He stepped towards her and locked eyes with her. Her beautiful freaking eyeballs didn't blink. "For the last six years I've thought about you everyday. You've fascinated and inspired me. The car and the house in the Hamptons and this place and every time I've ever bought food or done anything for you I've done because you have _consumed_ me. You're not a goddess or an idol. You're my muse and everything I've ever done for the last 6 years I've done for you."

She wasn't comfortable with the muse title bestowed upon her even today. She still most of the time felt like the mostly awkward high schooler with braces. She had often overcompensated with aggression and directness. The funny thing about what he did was she made him feel like she could _still_ blossom into something beautiful. A weird sort of post puberty ugly duckling story.

He stopped. He had to breath. _God please. "_All of any success I had since I met you has been because of you. I killed Derek Storm and Nikki Heat was born and I guess what I'm saying is...the money I made was because of you. Kate. Half of what you see is yours if you want it." Another deep breath. He had just scraped the surface. She was taken back alright but only because her high school boy toys and academy flirts and patrol partners, while yes they had an interest in her, none had committed to her like this. She had to break a few hearts and yes she's had her heart broken but _NO ONE_ had been there to love when her heart was dead. Broken is one thing. Completely endanger of no longer being able to live is totally different.

"Everything I've ever made or bought or liked in the last six years Kate was because you changed everything in my life. Did you know I hated coffee before you?"

She exploded an audible laughter. It wasn't entirely true. He did like a frapuccino or flowery foo foo starbucks drink but for _research_ he embraced the stale craptastic coffee the average cop went through. Thus the espresso machine.

"What I'm trying to say, Kate is..." his voice trailed off significantly. "I've never felt this way about someone before. The mother of Alexis couldn't touch you. I could not live without Alexis. She's my own flesh and blood and I would die if anything happened to her. Kate."

_Why isn't he kissing me? Why isn't he undressing me and completely invading my body? If he says anything sweeter I swear I'm going to get a cavity or diabetes or a..._

That's when she saw him take a knee.

* * *

><p>The killer's name is Dryon Gorgon. A unique name for a killer with the stereotype of being a cold war relic. Boris or Alex or something unisyllabic would have been more noticeable perhaps. Dryon was no longer worried about his past. He put it all on paper, well, 30 pages to be exact and everyone was going to jail. He had last bank accounts and names and dates and a plethora of information. He did not want to kill anymore. He had only bludgened the black female in front of him and take her gun. Compared to the other things he's done? <em>The devil wouldn't even notice.<em> He did grab the gun though and he was willing to pull the trigger. He never once wanted to hit somebody with a bullet now but he had a mission. He was told all would be forgiven and promised a small island somewhere to repent if he killed Kate Beckett. The name Beckett was an explosion of familiarity and it took him all but 5 seconds to realize the connection. His brain raced and the connection was made and history recalled. The one kill he thought about. A reporter with a bunch of questions and unbelievably beautiful.

He gripped the gun slowly harder and harder. "I don't want to kill anymore." He said aloud with his left hand on the door handle. He raised the gun to his forehead vertically and inhaled. Then exhaled. A casual coolness came over him then he slid the door open.

The click of the door had alerted a few of the cops and when Esposito registered the sound he lowered his hand to his gun. He had developed this habit after a pedophile had once managed to walk out some time ago and he promised he'd never let something like that happen again. Then he saw Dryon and he froze. How the fuck did he get out? Did Gates do... No. Gates did nothing wrong. He gripped the gun and the world went into a frozen frenzy when he said "GET DOWN! NOW!" Then raised his gun. Dryon tumbled to the ground. There was going to be a battle.

Dryon let the door close behind him and felt a presence. Ryan was to his left and in mid stuff my face pose froze as Dryon lifted a gun and aimed at his head. Dryon's head lifted and matched the view level of something slightly above Ryan's head and fired.

* * *

><p>Beckett's heart rushed into her throat and was pounding like an assault on Al-Qaeda in Pakistan, short and violent, <em>ohmygodishereallydoingthis?iwasjustthinkingthis!amidreamingholyshitholyshit<em>. Her thoughts raced and she put her hands to her face and brought her collars up to her face. Her shirt and coat and everything else she slap onto her face was covering her shock and surprise.

"Kate." He said. If ever a moment felt like magic it was now.

"Kate Beckett. Will you marry me?" Her breath instantly stopped. She felt light headed. She swayed a little. Her brain and thoughts screamed "Yes! Sweet Jesus Yes!" but her body was motionless and the fightorflight response had kicked in. Her brain raced and in one second all of this happened: Yes. _..._

She inhaled and what came out was "I'm sorry."

Castle almost fell over in devastation. She reached for him and grabbed him before he hit the floor.

"Castle! No! No! I love you! YesiwillmarryyouandI'msorry!" She blurted.

Castle felt his heart stop and it was like someone hit his chest with a sledge hammer and then proceeded to rape him. He could hear Kate's voice "I'm sorry I waited 6 years to say yes to you! I love you so fucking much! Please, God! Don't die!" Subliminaly or subconsciously or subsomethingly he smiled. _The happiest moment of my life and I faint? She wears the pants for sure._ That's when the door opened.


	2. Chapter 2

Dryon pulled the trigger and Ryan buckled to the ground and covered his head. Esposito assumed his head was obliterated by the bullet and his partner. His best friend. His boy. His _homey,_ was dead. "Everybody get down!" He squeezed the trigger until the bullets stopped coming out and was confident he didn't hit the killer. He had supplied his own cover fire, stood up and _right thumb up...grab the latch... down. _The clip slid out and reloaded a second clip he waited for the murderer to make his move. That's when he saw the stair door close. "Call Beckett! He's loose! Everyone! Get downstairs!" He took a step forward. He wanted to go to Ryan. He stopped and grabbed the phone off his desk. He dialed. The phone picked up and he heard " 'sup?" Then a ding from the elevator. Then gunshots. The killer was taking on 36 NYPD. Single handedly. Esposito put the phone on the desk. "Somebody check Gates and Ryan!" His legs pumped like hydraulic turbines fueling a Terminator. _I'm gonna kill this punta!_

Javier threw himself down flight after flight. He had never tried doing parkour but he imagined if a cop knew parkour it...well... maybe looked kind of like this. After walking down 6 of the 12 steps he grabbed the handrail and hurled his body down over the edge and landed a half flight down. Half a flight in 3 seconds is faster than a full flight in ten right? He didn't have time to do the math. He needed to move his instincts screamed DO IT! Thus. He did! Half flight after half flight. His body pumping battery acid and his brain screaming shoot the bastard he reached the bottom floor in no time. So he thought.

Dryon shot high on all of them. He thought no one was going to get hit by his bullets but some fired and others didn't. Confusion and panic rang throughout the parking garage and Dryon needed that if he stood a chance. The first cop he saw was a dark haired lady that clearly had no clue what was happening. He knocked her out with a single punch. A partner or male constiuent threw a haymaker that was easily dodged and Dryon countered with a blow that would give a donkey a concussion. He moved fast and weaved between cars. Someone started firing and the hailstorm of hot lead followed. He'd done this before but before he was given leeway. Kill all in his way. This time he would make the rules and gun for his target. This was a lot harder for a man like him. He wasn't one to roll and dive and take cover. He had the entry and exit wounds to prove it. He slid and spun from cover to cover and shot high blindly. He had finally reached something that would be a door and as he opened it he saw a rather rough looking mexican-ish looking man. Esposito raised his gun and time slowed down for Dryon as he noticed the ligaments and rage and tilted his to the right and the bang and flying lead missed. The delay in all the shooting gave the man a chance to beat him downstairs and outside but seeing the same man twice wouldn't stop him. _If I could get down here then he could_. He grabbed the pissed latino, headbutted him square on the bridge of the nose and Esposito went down like a sack of bleeding, gushing hammers. The gun flew meters away from the fight. Dryon grabbed him and dragged him away. Returned to the door and crammed a trash can underneath the door handle. It wouldn't last long but he didn't need long. He needed a car. He grabbed the bloody cop and lifted him up with both hands. "Keys to your car."

Esposito was clearly struggling to breath but was going to spend his last bit of energy spitting in Dryon's face. Then he felt weightless. The sky was beautiful. He spotted a bird. Probably a pigeon which now that he was getting his ass kicked didn't quite seem like the flying rat stigma he was told it was. The sun was gently shining. Funny how a gentle shine and a blazing heat are often the same thing and it's just a perspective thing. Lanie. I wonder what Lani- CRASH! Into the front window of the nearest cop car. No air entered his lungs. His body and brain and everything screamed "Breath you asshole! Breath!", but he opened his mouth and tried to suck in something anything. Water. Hate. Air. Volcanic Ash. _ANYTHING!_ But nothing came and the world went fuzzy. Then dim. Then grey. Then dark.

Dryon dug some keys out of the cops pockets. Auto remote and he clicked the alarm button. The car next to him went off. Convenient, yes. Was there time to ponder the cosmic significance? No. He got into the driver side of the car. Started it and peeled out into traffic as the door opened and several cops of the 12th pointed guns but holdstered as they saw one of their own bloodied and for all intents and purposes dying on a patrol car.

Dryon. The dragon of death was coming for Kate Beckett.

* * *

><p>"Rick!" Castle heard as he felt himself resting. He hadn't eaten for awhile. He was dehydrated and honestly on initial shock of her respnose he was, at least, quasi-heartbroken. He had heard her exlcaim the 'Iloveyou's' and the profanities but the 'I'm sorry' rang like a bell.<p>

Martha was the one who opened the door to the Castle domain while Beckett and Castle where embraced on the ground. She shielded her eyes. It wasn't a walk of shame but it was a walk home and she didn't want to embaress her son. "Martha!" Beckett shouted. "He's having a heartattack!" She dropped her purse and removed her sunglasses which she had hoped would protect her from an excrutiating combination of guilt, barbituites and whatever she had taken. She had a problem but she was focused on Castle right now. She went to the refrigerator. Beckett was screaming things like "I love you, please don't leave me!" and "I love you!". Martha emerged from the open kitchen with a red concoction with ice cube in it. Her right arm up in the arm she said "Detective, drop the drama he's merely hibernating. I will awaken him."

She put the goppy concoction in front of his mouth and opened his mouth and poured a massive amount into his mouth. Beckett saw his throat gulp it down and then...

"RED DEEEAAATTTHHHHH!" His body rose like a body possessed with a pitchfork in his ass. He gripped his own throat and his face went red. He ran to the faucet in the kitchen and started drenching his mouth with whatever poured out of the faucet.

Becket screamed to Martha "What did you give him!" Martha began walked up the stairs to her room. "Tons of cayenne pepper and lipton tea, darling. Nothing more or less."

Castle had never died. He had heard everything. He was in a passive state. Dehydrated and hungry. Beckett was furious and wanted to knock him out but while he was trying to cool his red death


	3. Chapter 3

"RED DEEEAAATTTHHHHH!" His body rose like a body possessed with a pitchfork in his ass. He gripped his own throat and his face went red. He ran to the faucet in the kitchen and started drenching his mouth with whatever poured out of the faucet.

Becket screamed to Martha "What did you give him!" Martha began walked up the stairs to her room. "Tons of cayenne pepper and lipton tea, darling. Nothing more or less."

Castle had never died. He had heard everything. He was in a passive state. Dehydrated and hungry. Beckett was furious and wanted to knock him out but while he was trying to cool his red death.

Martha shouted from upstairs "What did you say to him that made him do that?" Beckett's heart rushed with whatever chemical your body floods with when confronted with the future in law. "I said sorry."

"For what dear?"

"He proposed to me."

"That'll do it!"

Castle frantically cooling himself down over a faucet and grunting and moaning and spitting managed to eek out the words "I'm right here!" Alas it was to no avail.

Martha came back down without glasses and her evening coat.

"You know he's been crazy about you since day one right?" She passed Beckett. Not entirely true but maybe week one. At the most year one but still the point remained the same.

"You're okay?" She asked hoping he was.

"I will be. Give me a minute." Beckett opened a cupboard and found some honey.

"Take this." Handing him honey she half expected to get a comment back but Castle threw some back straight out of the bottle. His core cooling down and he breath caught he stood up. Turned and rested on his sink.

_Did he hear me? _Her mind raced. If he did would he string me along like I did to him? She was wincing. _Shit, he's going to make me figure it out isn't he?_

"So..." She started.

Castle heard the gurgle in his stomach. The red death was merciless. "Ohmygod!" He ran to the bathroom.

Beckett put her head in her hands and let her hair hang down and over her body. _Worst. Moment. Ever._

Her hands flopped to her side. She made an imaginary Castle next to her in her mind and began to talk to him like he was there. "So, how does it feel to be my boyfriend now?" _Pretty good! _ "So about that wantin' to marry me?" _Silly right? "_IIII know!" She knew what was said and how they felt. The romance was very gone though so her slightly negative side took over her. That intelligent but awkward teenager with the braces came out and hid the happy, beautiful Beckett. She felt guilty and responsible and guilty and... and... DAMNIT CASTLE! She knew it wasn't his fault but she felt better blaming him.

She inhaled and relaxed remembered something peaceful. _Being in his arms _ – and walked to the bathroom. She was afraid to knock but did anyway. "Rrriiiiiick?" Nothing. She waited then "Riii" -"WHAT!" Exploded from the bathroom. She backed her head away a little but was, for the most part, unfazed. She grabbed the knob and turned it. Pushed. _If I'm going to be his wife I better get to know the ugly side of this man-child._

The ambulance door closed. Esposito was breathing but it was shallow. Ryan wanted to jump in but he had work to do. Check on Gates. Call Beckett. Find the killer. Call Jennifer. Find more stuff to do.

He spun from the ambulance saw Gates being taken out the door on a stretcher. She would have a concussion and whiplash and insert whatever late breaking neck/brain injury that wasn't fatal but really painful name here. Ryan knew what her abscense ment.. No leadership. Without the bulldog barking orders and gazing her eyes on the precinct this ment that in time you'd have rogue cops taking the law into there own hands. After being nearly killed and several of his friends thorougly getting their asses kicked he decided to push the matter and fill the need. A cop he'd never seen before walked past with a bullhorn. He snatched it. Finger on the intercom button he pushed the button close to a walkie talkie and it emitted a god awful squeal that made several officers cover their ears and the rest stop in their shoes.

"Alright!" He had their attention. He had to be decisive. He had to be strong. "We just got shot to shit but one man! We need to find him and we need him now but we _can't _have this city falling to shit. I need SWAT to go to Beckett's apartment. She's the head detective here and she's at risk. We need two armed to go to Richard Castle's loft. Volunteers?"


	4. Chapter 4

"Alright!" Ryan had their attention. He had to be decisive. He had to be strong. "We just got shot to shit but one man! We need to find him and we need him now but we _can't _have this city falling to shit. I need SWAT to go to Beckett's apartment. She's the head detective here and she's at risk. We need two armed to go to Richard Castle's loft. Volunteers?"

All their hands went up. Ryan wasn't going to show it but they all knew the brotherhood of the badge showed itself in that moment and rush of pride and strength surged through him. He scanned the faces and just pointed. "You!" Hands lowered and eventually the one with his hands still up was Robert Jefferson. Second year straight out of academy. Mother and father upbringing and wanted to fight for the little guy motivation. "And you!" Ryan turned and the first face he saw was a relatively good looking female traffic cop named Josie Valdez. Ryan felt like a game show host bringing contestants down to the floor to bet on which door had the spinning wheel that would give them a new car or land them on an island with strangers struggling to survive. Or whatever. He had to be serious.

Ryan spun and still shouting in his bullhorn, "Go! Get out of here! Serve! Protect!" They scattered like roaches in the light and went to their normal routine and SWAT ran inside to suit up. Ryan was scared as shit. He just ordered about four dozen armed people to go out and kick ass in what could be a rough city. _Is this what Gates thinks? _Jefferson and Valdez met and began talking. The rest of the force scattered. Ryan dropped the megaphone and went back to the building. He had to meet with SWAT and call Beckett.

Beckett shut the door behind her with her mouth covered with her sleeve. Eyes slammed shut. "Kate! Leave now!" She stood her ground. Castle was praying to porcelin gods or at least she thought then another thought attacked her _Maybe he's having a personnal moment?_ She gagged slightly and left with eyes glued shut. She had only seen the light that slammed her eyelids and filtered through her eyeballs but it still felt like she saw too much. "Rick can I help?"

"Kate the last time I got the red death..." there was a pause and Kate plugged her ears to not hear whatever was going on then heard mumbling and she let sound hit her eardrums "... until the next day. I'm allergic to Cayenne!" The back of her head instictively hit the door. She sighed. _I love spicy food._ She knocked the thought out of her brain the moment she heard "DETECTIVE BECKETT! IF YOU EVER COME IN THE MIDDLE OF ME DESTROYING MY TOILET AGAIN YOU WILL RUE THE DAY" _Seriously? _ She thought. _Who thinks of the word rue when vomitting?_ She breathed a deep diaphramic breath then sighed in her head _my husband_. Then the phone rang.

"What's up Ryan?" Then she heard the words that set fire to her anger and fear. The thoughts spammed her like unwanted computer virus (is there a wanted computer virus?). _I knew it! It's all too good to be fucking true because I JUST agreed to marry the man of my dreams and then my mother's killer breaks out!_

Ryan says "Hello?" half wanting her to shout and scream about how incompetent he was and he wanted to break the silence. "Espo and Gates are in the hospital."

_"What!"_ In any other situation her exclamation might, slightly seem humorous but given context...

"Espo needed a hole in his chest to release the pressure in his left lung. It was dying. Lanie went with him. Gates had a concussion and is under watch. She's gonna be fine. Where are you?"

She sighed. _Fine. I'll tell you._ She felt unburdened. She felt free and happy with this. She wanted the world to know. "I'm with Castle at his house and in his bedroom." A rush of relief came over her. A novice detective knew what this ment... hell a traffic cop knew what this ment! It was official though she had stopped caring what the world thought. Ryan's reaction was different. "I got two coming over. Watch the door though. They're gonna take you somewhere safe."

"NOT WITHOUT CASTLE!"

"Castle too! Damn. What the fuck is wrong with you?" A dumb question but a question that was ment to reveal. "_AS HIS FIANCE I'M NOT LEAVING HIS SIDE AND SINCE HE'S PUKING HIS BRAINS OUT NOW BECAUSE OF THE BULLSHIT I DID YOU BETTER BRING THE NATIONAL GUARD RYAN!" _She bellowed. If Will Smith was in the room he'd say "It just got real yo'."


	5. Chapter 5

**Let Act 2 begin. Don't hold your breath b/c you'll pass out before the drama ends. Are you ready? It will be epic and if you are reading this then comment and follow me b/c I got plans for this story. Violence, vulgar language and sex ahead but be warned many touching moments too. Oh, god this is going to be hard. Time to shamelessly promote myself though.. if you are even slightly entertained then copy and paste the following link into your browser: ****.com/user/EnterTheDojoShow**

Dryon was quiet and wanted to stop the car. He had jacked it about 4 blocks back. The Escalade was a good choice. It had GPS and all kinds of doohickeys that he could take advantage of and hell there was even a purse on the passenger seat and he knows he could literally destroy this woman's life forever with the knowledge he could gain from dumb customer service representatives from countries that don't speak english and the numbers and letters alone in the leather bag to his right could give him everything he could ever need to walk away from this. No island though. No freedom to repent. _Fuck. _ He had to kill this Beckett and whoever she was with and ever around and saw to get that. Like carving a path to the devil to reach the heavens. He never read Dante's Inferno but if he had he would laugh. He laughed anyway though knowing something was ironic but had no time to admire or reflect.

He jerked the steering wheel to the right hard and the wheels squealed as expected and he saw the building he had to go in. It was the west side of town and and parked on the sidewalk. Clearly in a rush he left the driver door open and walked towards a door. He raised the handgun he had taken from that black cop he concussed on the table in precinct 12 and checked the chamber. Clear. Slid the magazine out. Full. Slapped it back in. Loaded the chamber and slapped the hammer back.

He reached the door and pulled the latch. Locked. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath then rammed the glass door with his left shoulder. It didn't shatter at first but it did shatter around time number 15 it gave way and he had drawn a crowd with several people talking on cellphones. Most likely the cops. He had to move fast now that he broke down the front door. He saw the mailboxes and noticed one said "Beckett" next to an apartment number. Since they had started dating she was very clear to put her name on what was hers and her mail was no exception. If she knew where this relationship was going like she thought it would then she still needed it to be known that she had to have a space that was hers to Castle wouldn't hound and bother her. She loved him but she also need to be herself. Having her own mailbox wouldn't be too weird. That's what her thinking was anyway in labeling her current and future residence. Not so much territorial but practical. Of course, she never thought it would lead a killer to her doorstep.

Jefferson and Valdez were responding to the calls coming over their individuals walkies and it seemed with a brief leadership void in the precinct, while Ryan was doing everything he could, there was mild chaos brewing in responding to calls. Partners were mismatched and newbies where working with traffic cop veterans on murder cases. _Total s.n.a.f.u._ Jefferson thought. Reports were scattered and APB's were essentiallyl wasted on ears that had no idea what was going on.

"Two people get beat up and everything turns to shit." Valdez said. Jefferson smirked. "Thank you! Jesus it's like-"

"DON'T!" She raised a finger. "Please don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Say His name and then something. It bothers me the amount of times I hear that and I'm sorry to take out on you but _shit man_!..." Her voice trailed off and it could've been an awkward moment but Jefferson played along. Saw her inhale. Then exhale. "Cheese and crispix! It's like they've never been cops before!" He raised his finger like Tony T. Tiger and waited for a response. She closed her eyes, opened and smirked. A gentle smirk. Enough to show a slight devil-may-care attitude with a dash of virgin-school-girl mixed with a gunblazing badass mixed with – _what the hell are you doing __Rob!_ Stop it! Apparently Jefferson was admiring her. He liked her on that 3rd grader 'doyoulikemecirlceyesorno' level instantly when they were shaking hands in the parking lot of the 12th precinct. _Whatever, we got a job to do_. _Feelings suck._ He looked at her feet, "Sorry, bad habits. Let's get to this playboy's house and get them out of there."

She smiled.

If you are thinking "_what is she thinking?" then understand _if I told then what joy would you have watching all the Castle episodes you've seen so far?

Gorgon had reached the 6th floor and stepped out of the elevator. He turned to his left and at the end of the hallway was the one door he knew wouldn't stop him. Becket's door. From 20 feet it had 3 deadlock bolts and probably a chain but at 6'8" and 289 pounds it would last long. He inhaled through his diaphram and pushed the air into his lungs and exhaled three times then charged. The method he had learned to instantly access his adrenal glands to pump strength into his muscles was fool proof. Ten feet from the door he screamed like a nordic warrior in Valhalla and crashed through the door, splintering it like a wrecking ball on ply wood. A concussion was guaranteed had the adrenaline not pushed a flurry of chemicals to his brain. He had to keep it going and when he slid, chest first, into the wooden floor, he popped himself up with a push up and began firing blindly. Into a couch, a refrigerator. A glass table top. A bedroom. He finally stopped squeezing when he heard a click come from his hand. Then he raised the gun to his temple and pulled the trigger _just to be sure._ Click. Nothing came out. He perked up and there was nobodies. No blood or return fire but he did hear a siren and the red and blue lights reflecting off of lights in the alleyway juxtaposed to Beckett's apartment. He had shot up the wrong apartment and SWAT was coming for him.

That's when Valdez knocked on Castle's door.

**Sorry. Had to break the 3rd wall with Jefferson and Valdez. If you read this please comment. I wake up early and go to bed late waiting for comments good or bad. If you don't like it SAY IT! If you love then I dare you to put your "I love Castle" shirt on and comment extra loud. I do plan on making act 2 furious action sequence and act 3 … well it's very sweet and tons of M rating stuff.**


	6. Chapter 6

ACT 2- Let the ass kicking begin.

Kate checked the peephole and saw two cops at the door. She'd never seen them before but was sure they were from the 12th since Ryan had told her not more than 10 minutes ago they were on the way. She opened the door. She saw them in full none fish eye lens and stared them in the eyes. "National Guard?" They both were slightly taken back by that. "Nevermind." She said "You'll do. Where are we going?" Jefferson and Valdez swapped glances and had no idea what she ment.  
>Jefferson remembered what Ryan had said. To simply go to Castle's place. Nothing more or less and he wanted to say "Uhhh... what?" but what came out was "Ryan didn't say."<p>

_Good answer. Play dumb for as long as you can._ Kate thought with a smirk. Jefferson caught the expression and thought of Valdez. In his peripheral he snagged a glance then like a laser through a paper towel role focused with his senses on Beckett.

Beckett put the cellphone to her ear and waited. It wasn't long before Ryan answered and Beckett began her tirade. "What the hell are you doing down there! I ask for the national guard and you send me the diaper patrol?"

It was then that Castle came out of the bathroom. Red flushed face and swollen lips. Angelina Jolie swollen. His tongue had swollen and wasn't able to talk to well but seeing the two uniformed officers he tried his best to hide his ailment. He "smiled" and looked down and went to Beckett. He tried to whisper in her ear something.

"I'm sorry Ryan hold on... what Rick!"

Then Castle spoke. It wasn't what he said that caused alarm and some laughter but how he said it. Jefferson covered his mouth. _He's Daffy Duck!_ Valdez was alarmed somewhat more than others "Oh my gosh! What happened!". Castle stared at them and then said "I'fe gah owlergees." With the last s sound he made some saliva came out and and splatted on the floor.

"Get some benedryl and let me work." Beckett snapped. Castle sunk in his disposition and humbly walked away and Beckett continued with Ryan. "Where are you! Where's Gorgon!"

"We think he's after you. I"m with SWAT at your apartment now."

The flashing lights cued Dryon into action but the boots clopping on the steps coming up to his floor cued his adrenaline. He had to move quickly and with no bullets and feeling slightly concussed speed was his only ally. He wanted to go out the door but it was surely covered. He spun and surveyed the apartment. Spotted the stool in the kitchen. Grabbed it and hurled it at the window, shattering the glass and making way for an escape. It would be a long fall _if_ he went out that way. He looked down into the alleyway below and grimaced. At least a broken leg if not a shattered spine. Not the best plan. The stomping was coming closer and the door , being obliterated and all, didn't allow much time for action. He headed to the door and waited at the top of the steps. Visualized being shot and fighting the squad then he put himself against the wall and waited. He was probably going to die and he quickly made peace with that. He wasn't going down without a fight.

He saw a black barrell sneak around the corner and he quickly slapped it down and chopped the first SWAT member in the throat. Clearly collapsing his trachea Dryon tore the gun out of his hand and pointed then squeezed the trigger. Shooting the first two armoured cops following up the steps he pushed himself up against the wall around the corner and a barrage of bullets pursued his position. Chunks of wall and dust splattered everywhere and through the firing he could hear shouting and chaos.

Ryan was outside when the gunfight broke out. He instinctively ducked and began to take a knee, drawing his gun out his holdster. The rest of SWAT took position and a sniper raised his rifle at the smashed door. "Get out of there! Marquez! Dean!" He was screaming what names he could remember in his through his headset but all that came through was shooting, screaming and more shooting. That's when a member from the squad that entered the building flew through a 2nd story glass window, firing back into building before he landed flat on the ground.

Dryon Gorgon had fought more at a time before but this was a little more satisfying given the supposed "skill and ability" of the men he just ragdolled and/or killed. He had to stop admiring his work though as he had little before more men would likely storm the building. He headed to the fire exit in the rear of the building.

The police were motionless. All guns pointed at the caved in front door. Waiting. Waiting. Ryan stopped waiting. _Hold on._ "Is anyone covering the back door?" It was then he saw a squealing car pass his peripheral from the alleyway that had a metal stool lying in it. _Really, Ryan? You fuck up on that?_

Yes. Dryon Gorgon the Dragon of Death had eluded the 12th. By slipping. Through the back door. Had killed half a dozen SWAT members on Ryan's watch. Definitely not a good first day as the police chief.


	7. Chapter 7

Way to go Rick. Epic ball dropping failure. He canvassed his medicine cabinet and spotted the bottle of Benedryl and wondered when he had gotten the bottle. He remembered that he had a strong desire to research what it would be like to be a coma patient but by the time he gotten it back to the loft he realized what a stupid idea it was and just kept the bottle in case. In case what? Oh hell who cares. He had it and he needed it. He grabbed it. Then his memory came flooding back and he remembered. He had saved Beckett's life from the elevator shaft.

* * *

><p><p>

She had jumped and grabbed his arm just in time and there were sparks and fire and banging from the elevator landing and then the flames that crept up the shaft from the bomb. Yeah there was a bomb, of course there was a bomb, everything had been blowing up since they had gotten the break from the "Deepthroat" that Castle talked too every now and again when it was convenient. After he pulled her up he had no other instinct, sense, thought or desire in his body then to kiss her and _damnit_ it was a good kiss. Her lips lucious, firm and moist. Moist? With hell falling down around her? A godsent moisture spell no doubt or maybe she had slathered a ton of lip gloss on earlier? Perhaps she was as perfect for him as he had hoped. Lips always at the ready. She had wanted to jerk away and run because of the huge flaming fireball she had felt earlier creeping up her backside but maybe it was the warning or last chance she needed to light her fuse and when their lips met she stiffened her facial muscles in surprise and then remembered it was Rick Castle kissing her and she had taken it as a sign. Her partner, best friend and most interesting and intriguing and captivating man she had met...Hell, she dumped a doctor, _a doctor _who flew to 3rd world countries to help those with whatever-itis they had, so she could tell this playboy... _FUCK_ ! Her mind flipped a switch at the thought and she geared it to the moment, he's not a playboy he's a man that cares and _wants you Kate and you deserve that_. He's saved your life and you've saved his and you've been this _thing _for longer than you want to admit. Her heart quickened at the idea whenever she touched it with her mind and she always erased it because of something else. The case. Everyone. Everything. She had always let it be a distraction. The flames of her attempted demise was enough. Nothing like Death to slap you in the face and make you realize, right? She asked herself in the heat of the moment but the moment was in kiss and she wanted to smile but doing so seemed like it would kill her too since her lips where attached to his and there was nothing else she wanted but to let him know _I love you too._

Staring at the bottle of Benedryl Castle was a world away remembering what had caused all of this. When someone finally arrived at their level he jerked away to see who it was and felt like screaming "Idiot!" but it was swat and they had they're fancy gear on and he wouldn't remember who he said it to later so the passion died down for now and they were led to an ambulance with rotating lights. Outside they were asked a million questions from everyone from "What happened?" to "Why where you there?" to Ryan and Gates asking "What the fuck where you thinking?" Asking questions apparently was the anti-aphrodisiac for Beckett as she slid away from her interragation first and jumped into a car and drove away.

* * *

>Castle felt his heart sink into his stomach as she pulled away and a foolish feeling flooding his mind. <em>You are an asshole. Why did you ever think she could love you the way you love her? She's running like she always does and for the love of GOD. Why don't you just go to your loft and die a lonely, bitter, crappy author you hack. You wanted a life after all the writing but IT will NEVER happen. You hear me? <em>His brain conjured up images of Beckett shaped devils stabbing his heart with tridents that would shame Poseiden. These thoughts were relentless and he immediately shut himself down emotionally. The thoughts had stopped and he approached Esposito. "Can I use your car? I... I need some time. I'll bring it back tomorrow. I just really..." Javier Esposito handed him the keys and turned his back to Castle. "I didn't see anything bro." Was heard. In the court of law Rick would have said I don't remember how I got the keys. They both knew. He was talking to a detective after all.

He stopped at a pharmacy and looked at his watch. It was 10:47 pm and he still had time. He could drown his feelings to the point of sickness and maybe kill the part of is brain that was attached to _her_ for the last 6 years or so and her shitty wall so that he could recover. Hell maybe he would start writing kiddy books. Hell maybe he can drink so much he can personally relive "The Vow" starting from waking up from a coma and never remembering anyone. His brain chemicals attached to the word anyone pushed Alexis into his mind. His rage and the Beckett-demons poking at his heart tried to push her out of his mind but it wasn't enough. _Well, as an auther maybe I should go on. See what someone who wants to die would buy as there last drink._


	8. Chapter 8

Castle had the benedryl in his hands. He was thinking about the pharmacy he was in on that night and his semi-choice to try and drug the pain of rejection into a nice bottle that would wash away synapse and obliviate neurons. He thought about the legendary internet drink called "Purlple drank" and wished he didn't have to measure the ingredients and that he could just _go there. _Be numb and dumb and retarded until Alexis and Martha and fucking Kate Beckett just disappeared and he woke up in an alleyway and got a restart like when you die in a video game. Just hit pause and reload the last setting and retry. He had done everything right but it went all wrong. He loved with all of his heart and he was rewarded with divorce two times. His mother still a raging whatever it was that she was and his daughter with the emotional and cognitive abilities to clearly not need him anymore. He felt like he wasn't needed. _Kate didn't need him_. No one but his stupid credit card-swiping-fans needed him. They wouldn't miss him. They'd just swoop in on some Dean Koontz or Patterson novel and he would be a footnote in some fan fiction archive somewhere. The Beckett shaped demons told him he _regretted everything._ The writing was a waste. His heart was a waste and his love was wasted.

When he was in the aisle glancing at the nyquil and perusing the alcohol aisle with a cart full of whatever he swept with his arms into the carriage down the third aisle of the CV or Walgreens whatever place it was. The lighting sucked and somehow it helped him focus on what he was trying to do.

* * *

><p>There was a vicious knock on the door and he heard Beckett shouting "Rick we have to move now! He broke out! Gates and Espo are in emergency care and we need to roll now!"<p>

Castle didn't connect the two statements. Killer free. Gates and Espo in the hospital. A lightbulb hangy string made the flickering sound in his brain and then almost subconsciously he unscrewed the Benedryl and chugged three hearty gulps. When he looked down he saw the empty bottle. _Oh fucking shit!_ He closed his eyes and felt the "fffffUUUUUU**CCCCKKKKK**!" from his subconscious swell and then immediately slammed his index finger to the gag reflex in the back of his throat and tried to think of disgusting things to puke up the medicine.

* * *

><p>Kate heard the gagging. <em>We aren't going anywhere are we?<em> She asked herself. _Nope, Kate we suuuure aren't._ At least she wasn't going anywhere without him. More gagging and liquidy pouring sound came from the bathroom. She walked away. After her scoulding from earlier she decided that the bathroom clearly, given the in-shower stool, jacuzzi and the eco-friendly "waste remover" was obviously an important place for him; she had only one thought left. My final stand would be here. No drama. No theatrics. No shootout. He'd come through the door and she'd shoot him between the eyes. 'Nuff said. She staked her claim and her attitude was very 'Noneshallpass!", she just thought that and blamed Rick for being so nerdy all of the sudden. She knew though that the Dragon of Death would die today or her dream would. Her dream of being with Rick Castle was at stake and her brain hated the _idea_ of Castle but absolutley loved the Rick she had know for 6 years. No if, and, or buts. Yes he had a slight case of addiction to whatever and at the same time dangerously loyal, even if his heart was at risk but she loved this man. Back to the bathroom door and she rememberd...

* * *

><p>Sitting on the couch of his apartment on that night she felt the heat creep up her loins, backside and everythingelseness. She pulled out her phone and texted <em>im waiting pls call<em> to Castle. Martha had let her in and noticed an air of desperation to her knock. Let her in and went to bed. "Whateverwillbewillbe" Martha hummed in her mind then went up the stairs. Kate was ready for Rick to come to his home for her. Okay, well maybe not for her but just to come home and be with her. Okay that implied it was her place he was coming too. Not so much that he was coming to her but he was coming home to himself and she was there wanting to surprise him. Okay well surprise wasn't the right word but she was waiting for him to come home to himself, in which, he would discover Kate would just happen to be there and they could summon a moment that she could finally... okay not finallly... it's always been there but this time! THIS TIME! She shouted in her mind she was going to do _it._ You know. Say those words. The 3 words. You know. The one's should could only seem to say when she was vulnerable and to herself and seemed to get stuck in her larynx on her exhales.

She immediately got nervous. _What if he doesn't feel the same?_ Her heart ached at the idea but she knew he felt the same, if not more, but the doubt was there all the same. She had heard him say it first right? When she was shot he said it twice. Kate don't leave me. I love you Kate. Kate! I love you! Then had that kiss before and it was … it was.. wow. Her brain remembered but did she really feel and hear those things? The doubt she was making herself have was brutal and it made her nervous and the desire to say the words to him wabbled in her mind. _Just walk away Kate. People don't wait for 6 years for something like that. That's insane._ She stood up to leave. Grabbed her purse. She felt foolish and like a stupid high school freshman with a crush on a senior leaving for college soon. It's just a crush. It'll pass. It's not supposed to happen or it would have happened by- then she heard the door close and Rick was standing there with some benedryl, nyquil and crappy whiskey.

Surprised as he was he was willing to give her a chance to start the conversation first. He locked the door behind himself and put the drinks on the kitchen counter. Went to a cupboard and got a glass out. She was motionless and watching him. He put his finger to his mouth in thought. Thinking about which one to start with. He unscrewed the whiskey bottle first and started to pour then-

"Castle."

"What Beckett?" His voice hissed with disdain. "Make it quick. I have a coma I'm trying to put myself into and your holding me up."

"What's wrong Castle?"

"What's wrong?" He left the drinks alone on the counter and his baby blues were more like a dialated black ovular tribute to pain. He got right in her face. This was happening right now. "Six _fucking_ years Kate I've been by your side and I love you. I love you so much and I try and hold it back honestly I do but I want to be with you. More than just writer-boy and Castle and I realized it doesn't matter how many times I save your life or if we find you mother's killer or if we discover the next criminal mastermind serial killer terrorist trying to blow up and eat the cities guts you'll never reciprocate. You know what that means _Beckett?_ Reciprocate? When you tell someone how you feel? You remember feelings? Or are you too emotional constipated to do that?"

She didn't like his tone. She slapped him in the face. Hard like she was trying to break concrete slabs for a martial arts black belt test. His vision went blurry for a second. He didn't fall but he was rocked back in spot a bit and before he could really embrace the abuse and walk away she grabbed him by the his shirt. _"Don't! Ever! Talk to me like that again you childish ass!"_ To say she was enraged would be an understatement. The hearts in their bodies pumping like cylinders in a high octane car. They were breathing heavy with rage. He had cut her with his words and she had bruised his ego with her hand. "If you can get your head out of your ass for 5 seconds and see that I'm here! Rigt now! Empty those bottles in the sink and quit the pity you self absorbed ass! I'm in your face right now because I-" She stopped and the words got stuck in her throat. She slammed her eyes shut and let go of Castle.

"You what?" He said. He wanted to hear it. But he didn't. He wanted to be mad at her, he wanted to forget about ever meeting her. He wanted to teach her a lesson on how you can't screw with someone's heart they way she had. He was getting really mad now. "What the fuck are you going to say _Beckett _right now that can fix this? You can interrogate low life thugs and white collar bankers but you can't say it can-"

She flipped her eyes open and cut him off. "I am in love with you Castle!" She slammed her foot down. Reminiscent of child protesting a timeout but she had finally said it. Then her guilt and pressure and wall fell to her mental ground and she felt a weight lift off her chest. It was like a muscle that was never used and needed to be stretched and strengthened by use. "I love you Rick. I am in love with you."She felt happy to say it and her eyes watered and tears fell.

"Kate..." The wordsmith was stunned. He waited to hear those words for so long and he just buried everything in the span of an hour. Now the pendulum had swung back and everything was on the table.

"Rick say something." His silence was killing her. Everything was down. She opened herself up and now she was panicking.

"I..." He couldn't say anything else. His feelings flooding over his body. He had wanted to basically kill himself 30 seconds ago and he was, in seconds, back in love with her again. It wasn't right yet it was. He didn't want to forgive her but he was doing it right there anyway.

"This is the part where you say something back Rick." He felt the wall start to rebuild in her voice. He wasn't letting it go back up even if his life depended on it. Face throbbing with his slap or puch or chop or whatever it was replaced with his pounding heart and he grabbed her, met her mouth with his and the kissed. Not just a kiss but a _kiss_. It was only a ten second kiss but time had frozen for them. Castle only remembered the song "In his kiss", the Cher version from that one movie. Whatever doubt he could've had was gone. She was it. She was the one.

* * *

><p>The benedryl was gone down the drain now. The antihistamine's started to work anyway and while his face and lips were easing up on the swelling he now had to deal with vomitting and his aching body. His brain raced and he remembered the side effects. Biggest being of course … drowsiness.<p>

Beckett was on the other side of the door and talking with Valdez and Jefferson. They were discussing what to do next but the logistics of stopping a lethal assassin on the prowl for his fiance came second in his mind to what he could take to counter the effects. He hadn't been very helpful and he need to be there for his love. Then he smirked to himself. _Wait, she doesn't know that I know she said yes does she?_ He remembered the 6 years she put him through. She could survive a day or two of her not knowing that he knows she knows. You know?


	9. Chapter 9

**Just realized that i haven't said it in a while. Castle isn't mine. Dryon Gorgon, Josie Valez and Robert Jefferson are characters of my own creation so... step off Marlowe! Just kidding. Kind of. This chapter doesn't have Beckett or Castle in it and i originally wanted to just get it out of the way but then i saw the opportunity to really villianize him so i went for it. Again PLEASE review. I love reading what you guys have to say.**

Dryon Gorgon had no other place to go. Weaving through traffic and weaving in thought. In and out of possibilities. He knew they were looking for him but he had ditched the car he took from the lady cop's apartment blocks ago and in something more compact he was forcing his brain to think about where to go next. He somewhat knew the city. The burroughs and blocks he could figure out but where Kate Beckett was... that was different. The dossier pointed out her partner Richard Alexander Rodgers, a.k.a Richard Castle, and that he had a place. The address evaded him though. He surely hadn't planned for things to get this bad but it didn't matter. They had and he had to deal with it. He had to go after friends and family to draw her out. Since he had already put two of her colleagues in the hospital already it seemd the logical place to go. Beat an address or phone number out of the two that already know what he can do. One fell swooping action put one in a concussion and to the mexican cop that he tossed like a rag dall around the precinct parking lot it should only really take a few choice words and he'd spit it out like a new born spitting up green beans.

He put the car in park outside the hospital and opened the door. His stride was straight and true until the sidewalk forked to two paths. One towards emergency care. One towards the visitor entrance. He didn't have a name of the cop from the parking lot but he did remember a "Gates" from the interrogation room. Being as important as she was if he was friends or family they would tell him where she was for sure. That was the idea anyway. He could call himself a cousin and surely no one would know any better.

* * *

><p>When she finally became coherent she noticed an extremely tall white guy eating her food. She knew who he was but as far as the how he got there clearly she was out of the loop. She felt she must be dreaming but she could see the light in the room and tell it was real.<p>

"I told them I was a cousin on your father's side." He was cutting into the meat portion of the god awful food she was served. She thought it, at best, would've been sirloin something covered in something supposedly grave-ish but her mind snapped back to the threat at hand. Gorgon was in bed with her. Not like a weird _with_. More like a partnership. They had shared an essence together ,albeit an abusive moment, but he was more gentle now and wanted something from her and she could tell he was not an extremely immediate threat.

He followed up his initial statement to her by saying "Where would Beckett go if she couldn't go home?" She noticed his upper mandibles chomping and pulsing near his temples as he furiously grinded her food intended for her, to bits and shreds and savored into morsales of flavor. She was jealous, yes, but she felt rage towards him more so than jealousy. Her cop instincts went from green to red. High alert.

"You are weak, like kitten yes?" A moment of understanding. She couldn't block a punch but she knew she didn't want to tell him where Beckett was. If she would go done representing the badge she would go down fighting, she didn't want to punk out. "Please! Tell! Where would you go if you couldn't go home?"

She didn't want to say but she did. She wanted to shatter his skull against her knee. She had wanted to force him to cry and wish he'd never been born. She wanted to give up, too. "I'd find a friend".

He had moved onto the pudding cup on the tray. "Where is Kate Beckett's friend?"

The only name she could think is Rick Castle. She admired and despised his name. Beckett had the highest confession and case closed rate in the precinct and no one else could come close. It was this weird chemistry of fact and fiction that fueled her 99% rate and a lot of arguing and wanting the greater good to be served that happened in front of her and she had noticed the chemistry. The only true friend Beckett had was Castle. "Castle." She whimpered. A tear fell out of her eyes. She couldn't fight him. If she pressed the button for a nurse to come, surely he would kill her easily if need be, and he could do whatever he wanted to her if he wanted due to the fact she couldn't do much of anyting at all.

He could sense her hesitation. A lot of thoughts were flooding at the moment for her and he could tell. He'd tortured enough people to know what telling him what he wanted to know looked like.

"Are you going to kill me?" She didn't really want to know but she couldn't help asking. He laughed. "No. I don't need to. This food will. Blech. Horrible." He let go of his fork and let it clank on the plate. He took a deep breath and allowed his thinking to catch up to the moment. He rubbed his eyes. He reached over to the medical charts hanging on the edge of the bed. Flipped through some pages.

"Concussion. Very serious. Close observation for 48 hours and then you'll be released. You'll need to be careful though. You may suffer vertigo for a while and some potential ringing in your ears. At least that's what happened to me." He put the charts back. "Where is Richard Castle?" His full attention was upon her. Sitting at the foot of her bed like he was concerned. Was he concerned? He might be a killer but surely he was human. It was when he stood up and put his face right in front of her that she realized she hadn't said anything. "_Go to hell._" She wasn't one to be bullied. She knew she might die but she wasn't going to go out a rat.

* * *

><p>He smiled. He leaned into her face. <em>Was he checking her out?<em> She wanted to fight but thinking about fighting made her dizzy. He caressed her face with his hand. "You know, when I was in Chechnya, while the women were beautiful, they just didn't have the fight that the American women have. In the end though they all say the same thing." He paused then pretended to cry "_Oh my family, oh! Oh!_" His smile got wider. "You slap them around and they break like a vase. American women though... you sometimes have to pull their teeth out of their mouth to get them to talk." He cupped her face in his hands. Scared as shit she responded "Start in the back your motherfu-" Her words went silent when he headbutted her. He pulled out a handkerchief. Wiped the blood off his forehead. Muttered something in his native tongue to himself. _Maybe the cop I beat up in the parking lot would be more cooperative._

Javier Esposito was beat up. Bad. Really bad. For him bad ment the worst ever. Sure he's lost fights but they all ended with a hug and "Good job" and a comraderie. Anything that happened in the street he always won. He'd never gone up against a trained government assassin before though. Clearly something he would have to put on his never-do-again list. His eyes opened when he felt the soft hand touch his skin. "Javi?" It was Lanie. _Thank you God for Lanie._ His eyes opened and he peered over the oxygen mask and saw her shiny face. It was smiles but obvious concern was there. "I've called your family and Ryan knows you're in stable condition so you can just relax." Esposito wanted to relax but he thought if he did he'd go back into unconsciousness and he wanted to look at her a little longer.

One could imagine how terrified he might have been as Dryon rounded the corner and quickly wrapped his arm around her neck in a choke hold and watched her eyes roll back into her head. As her awareness left her he placed Lanie in a chair in the corner. "She is fine." He then placed his hand on Esposito's forearm. "Hello old friend! Long time yes?" Esposito wiggled in place and immediately felt the air in his chest leave. Gorgon grabbed the medical charts. Flipped a page or two. Like he did with Gates. "Broken ribs. Here." He lightly touched the area the sharp shooting pain in his chest came from and Javier winced, his eyes welling up in tears. "Here." He hovered his hand on the other side of his abdominal region. "Aaand, here." He then flicked the last spot with his ring finger. Esposito seized his whole body and was trying to breath. The oxygen mask delivering free flowing life certainly helped but his muscles tensing made it feel like his ribs were breaking all over again. Dryon removed the oxygen mask and breathing instantly got harder. "Tell me where Richard Castle lives?" Javier spit in his face. Gorgon smiled. Laughed. Then hovered a finger over his chest. Javier breathed heavier or at least tried and the sadistic fuck next to him waiting to torture him stopped. Then Dryon grabbed Javi's nipples and twisted them. _Really? A purple nurple?_ Not to say it wasn't effective. It hurt like hell. The shock of being man handled like this scared and confused him but Esposito wasn't going to crack. Then that _fucking animal_ pinched Javier's nose close. Forcing huge gulping breaths to rush in through his mouth and Javier could feel his ribs cracking and breaking all over again. The killer let go.

Stood up.

Laughed.

Smiled nice and wide. Like a grade school kid about to do his parents proud. He walked towards Lanie.

His breath quickened and the assasin crouched next to her. Rubbing his nose against her face. Inhaling deeply and letting his eyes gloss over like he had just smelled something wonderful. "I love black pussy my friend. It's true. What they say. You don't go back at all."

"Stay away from her!" Javier growled.

"Oh so now you talk! I wonder what else you'll say?" The killer kissed her on the cheek. Then licked the side of her face. A long savory lick. He let the oils and salts and makeup sit on his tongue. Then spit it on the floor. "Tell me where I can find Rick Castle."

The address and directions blurted out like a spasm. A tourette's like outburst. The psychopath smiled then gave a loving slap on Lanie's face then left the room. Javier never would see him again. _Kill this fucking animal Kate._ He then began ringing frantically for a nurse.


	10. Chapter 10

Beckett answered the phone. Ryan was barking things to armored people with guns and clomping there boots. "Beckett! He got away!" A beep came on the other line. "Ryan! I got another call don't go anywhere!" She clicked over to the other line on her phone and got a hissing, popping sound. Then a beep... beep... beep... "Kate! He's coming! He was gonna kill Lanie! I had too!"

Her head was shaking. None of this made sense. He had beaten the NYPD. Two tough guys who knew the rules that she could count on. Who knew how to do things. Ryan was sensible and logical and while Espo was fiery at times he always kept his cool but would occasionally flip his lid in the name of justice and they both had fucked up and let a beast come at her. Two people she could count on to protect her in the line of fire dropped the ball. _Shit Rick please step up._ Thaaat's about when she heard the toilet flush. The sink run. Then the door opened. A wobbling and a crash. _Antihistamines? _She thought. Pleasepleasepleaseplease...

* * *

>Castle opend the door and …. "Hello everybody!" <em>ohfuckingshitpleasegodno.<em> He was buzzing yes from the OTC drugs to treat his rare ailment but none of that was apparent to anyone. Valdez and Jefferson seemed like they didn't notice but Beckett knew. Castle approached the huddle. "So what's our plan of attack?" Valdez butted in. "None yet. Just sit and wait." He caught Valdez flash a glance at Beckett. Wait. Did she? _Did she just size her up? Why would she... holy crap does she want my nuts all of the sudden?_ Why was he thinking this? Have you ever taken Benedryl? It's a wonderful world of bliss before collapsing into unconsciousness.

Valdez was _**NOT**_ sizing Beckett or Castle up. Definitely not. The whole assassin-attractive-partner-to-her-right was a factor yes but when she caught a glimpse of Richard Castle gazing at her in a stupor she took a second to see what was wrong with him then dismissed it as _he had to be sick_. She tried to recall sight, sound, smell and touch and for what it was worth she would base her stupid reports on this:

Richard Castle was in a lathargic state.

Kate Beckett was extremely professional.

'nuff said. No? Okay so...

"He's coming." Beckett said.

**cue the record skipping sound**

** Wait **_**what**_**? Okay. Kate arrested the killer of her mother but he broke free and put the 12****th**** in a handicapped status. Don't be P.C. It's true. Two rookies are going to protect our lovebirds but not before she expressed her love for Richard Castle in the deepest sense she could describe. The killer brutally abused his informants and wanted to kill Kate for his own gain. Paradise. Seriously? Comment below if you want to argue who you would kill for paradise? I think most don't like me smashing the 3****rd**** wall to tell you something about how this will go. It will end. Yes. And very great and positive but if you want the 3****rd**** act to begin I promise one thing. You will be surprised and it will be a happy ending. Give me more comments and followers! Be prepared for act 3 and an epilogue.**


	11. Chapter 11

Act 3 - My only friend. The end.

**No more chapters. Damn the word count. It all comes out now.**

"He's coming." Beckett said. There was a moment of hesitation in the room. Almost a non audible _what do we do?_ Beckett felt paralyzed. Nothing was going right and she wanted to run. She slammed her lips shut and they pressed them in on each other. She could hear her mother's voice one last time. "Stand and fight Kate!" Her eyes snapped open and revealed Richard Castle standing a few feet right in front of her. "You okay?" He said.

She inhaled deeply through her nose and fought the need to explode. _If _he hadn't saved whoever he saved to work on the 12th then she would've not met him. Then she would likely be dead. From the reflective glass in the kitchen that revealed the shooters position 6 years ago to the car bomb on the street that they first embraced to the nuclear bomb in a freezing locker huddling for warmth against him to the moment he held her and put everything on the line while she was bleeding to death the angry half that wanted to kick his ass wanted to blame him. The anger that was rooted in sadness. The side that wanted to cry forever because mommy was gone because she wanted to be a fighter. Like her. She craved justice and wanted everyone to just _fucking get along_ and not kill and want to control themselves for the love of God! He made her better. A better detective, a better person, a better lover and better at feeling emotions.

She raised her fists to her temples and her sadness expand into her knuckles. She could feel the swelling and want to destroy the world so to avoid her emotions. No emotions ment no love. No love. Ment no Castle. FUCK! She needed to hit something. She grabbed her hair hard at first.

"Kate? You okay?" His voice while loving and concerned and the only voice she would have wanted to hear was like poison in her brain. She wanted to become her mother and change everything. _You bitch!_ _Why did you risk your life when you have so much to lose! I hate you for doing this to me! IHATEYOU! You had a daughter and you left her! You left her alone and bitter and mad and angry! I hate you!_

Wetness traced her cheeks and she heard mumbling. Probably Castle wanting to know what was wrong. He probably thought it was a panic attack or PTSD or some variation of the two. She felt warmth on her shoulders and she calmed. An energy surged through her of comfort. Her mom wanting to hug her? She relaxed her hands and the anger faded. The anger was dissapating from her knuckles and leaking out her finger tips for the universe to handle. She didn't want the anger anymore. It was like a mist sneaking between her fingerprint wrinkles and was being eaten and devoured by better people then her. It was clarity for her. She wanted to fight but not for her mother.

She wanted to fight for Rick and the 12th. For Ryan, Gates and Espo and the diapers behind her in Valdez and Jefferson. In a flash every part of her body was awake. It was like a door of caring and understanding opened and fresh gust of relief tempered the room from igniting into chaos and... oh wait. Someone opened the door. _Shit!_

She drew her gun and pointed at the door and immediately froze and slapped the safety on the gun. It was Alexis. Alexis was frozen in terror at the sight of Kate Beckett pointing a barrell at her. Two full uniform cops and her father on the other side of the room. Fear was a very valid emotion at the moment but she swallowed it down and wanted go to Dad and have her memories sucked dry from drama that, quite literally, exploded in a millionth of a second in front of her. She'd never had a gun pointed at her but when you have a crime novelist for a Dad her superego felt numb to the talk of killing and barrels of guns and knives and fire and explosions and poison and... _._ Her reptilian brain apparently had not forgotten how to react to being almost killed and she froze.

_Usesarcasm. Usesarcasm. Usesarcasm. _Alexis close her eyes and raised her hands as if she was in helicopter spotlight and being hunted like a fugitive. Like in the movies she had seen with her Dad. They loved that kind of stuff. "Dad?"

"Yes sweety?"

"What's going on?"

"An assassin is trying to kill Beckett."

Alexis Castle's brain tried to compute the statement.

"Wait. What?"

Richard Castle then blurted out years of knowledge. "Kate Beckett's mother was killed by Dryon Gorgon who, unbeknownst to the Russian government, was a double agent for 10 years and eventually defected to our side then when approached by the CIA he began a rampage of death and destruction until he was told to kill Johanna Beckett. He didn't want to because he saw that she was exposing the corruption and evil of the world she lived in and viewed her as a freedom fighter. Common in his parts. He killed her but regretted but knew that her daughter would carry on the fight."

Rick was in a very lucid state now. The allergic reaction gone and he had realized he didn't have much time from the window of time of relief to embracing the drowsiness.

He meandered to the couch and sat.

_My God, _ Beckett thought, _he thinks he's the Dos Equis man._

"Soooo..."Alexis began, "we just chill and have a cocktail party?" It was rare for her to be pessimistic. Beckett took the lead, "We need to go after him."

Jefferson chimed in, "If he's on the way like we all overheard on your phone Detective Beckett than we need to set a trap for him."

It was silent. If crickets were there they would be chirping in anticipation for an answer. Castle broke the silence. A squinty look on his face then said "Go on."

"Well when you are hunting for a meal like a predator you go for the easy kill first. The tigers kill the sick and wounded or young and dumb. Maybe we can get him to go after Beckett like that."

The room had no clue where he was going with this. Castle didn't like the implication and Beckett definitely didn't want to be bait.

"It always worked when I was a kid. I'd hunt with my dad and well maybe we could set a trap." They didn't know what to say. There was no sick or injured or less than the strongest available. It was a good idea but not practical. Castle was the first to speak up "Not the same although I like the way you think..what's your name again?"

"Jefferson. Robert Jefferson."

"I like it but we're dealing with a bonafide sociopath with motivation of a freedom fighter. A simple bait and swiltch won't work. He'd kick all of our asses." It was true. It was a good idea but better suited for your run of the mill home invasion perp that had a bad day.

Then Valdez spoke up. "What if...", her voice surprised her. She didn't normally brainstorm but given the environment and what was at stake no idea seemed dumb enough. "What if we barricade and wait for back up?" Not the best idea for Detective Beckett. She wanted to go on the offensive. Sitting around moping and pacing and waiting wasn't something she would vote for. Castle knew this and immediately objected. "I don't want to hide in a size 12 box for someone with size 12 feet." Not entirely catching the meaning it seemed like the statement was enough to put the idea in doubt. Would there be an idea worthy?

The room went silent and Alexis turned to close the door and she heard Grams. "Can we help you?"

Alexis' eyes caught the feet of a large man at the top of her peripheral sight. Scanning upwards she saw the apparent giant in the doorway.

Dryon Gorgon was there. Martha was halfway down the steps between up and down stairs and had her avocado face mask on. Which, by the way, was delicious with margarita lime tortilla chips.

Martha, with a much firmer voice, said "Excuse me! Hello!" The whole room spun to the doorway and Dryon went into action.

He palmed the top of Alexis' head and with a simple flip of the wrist spun her 180 degrees towards Kate and crouched lower to make his head a smaller target for her gunsite. His hand wrapped into Alexis' hair one time to let her know who was in charge. He could yank and pull her around as a shield easily given her slender frame. Now with a shield and the element of surprise he sized up the room.

Two uni's in front and three redheads. One uni, the old hag with green on her face on the steps and the girl/shield he had in his hands. In scanning the room he spotted Beckett. His ticket to freedom. He lowered his gun barrell in line to her head and the room scurried like a bunch of rats upon seeing a gas bomb. Valdez jumped in front of the barrell site and Gorgon let go of his shields' hair and kicked the girl into her arms. He followed by firing a round into Robert Jefferson's chest. While clearly armored with bullet proof gear he still felt the force and it knocked him down. Then he heard the avocado lady scream. She was clearly not a threat but when he saw Beckett with a clear line of fire he knew he was going to see his maker. Nothing happened though. She looked...

_Forgot to put the safety off._ Her brain reeled in horror. The killer had a clear line of sight. A clear path and nothing to defend herself. Then she heard the scream. Richard Castle was charging the killer and screaming like he was beckoning the pathway to Valhalla for an eternity of battle and mead. He spear-tackled the assassin to the ground. Mr. Gorgon did hurt his daughter. His only lasting impression on the Earth and a lasting memory to who he was. An attack on his daughter was an attack on him. So when he put the assassin on the ground he thought the fight was over.

Then Gorgon wrapped his legs around Castle and squeezed. Castle felt his ribs crack like wishbones from thanksgiving turkeys' and immediately struggled to breath. Gorgon was clearly dealing with an amateur and primed his body for a finishing move. Dryon Gorgon swung his left leg around Castle's kneck and grabbed his left arm. Gripping Castle's head between his thighs and calves and squeezing was something of a rush. He could easily kill this global phenom called Richard Castle by a mere flex but opted out. Instead he lifted his waist and heard a 'crack' from Castle's forearm and knew he had broken his arm. Gorgon relaxed and let his attackers body in agony then he kicked his attacker to get him to roll over away from him.

It was Beckett and Gorgon now.


	12. Chapter 12

The safety was off but it was too late. He had left from the same door he entered. She heard foot steps ascending from her and she knew he was going up.

"Rick! I need you!" His arm broken and ribs shattered he clearly couldn't respond due to agony. She fired off three rounds out the door. They were in rage and incredibly inaccurate. She rushed out the door and up the stairs firing up at whatever body part she happened to see. She heard several shots from above her. She wasn't hit but the cover fire did freeze her in place. Then a door opened and as Beckett got to the top she saw the door to the roof close. She had the fucker cornered now.

Gun raised at the door she kicked it open and the hydraulic lever caught the weight of the door on its way back. She scanned the view she had as the door closed and the open view of the city sky line was all she could see. Once again pushed the door open with a kick and she started through. Allowing her peripheral sight to take over and catch any motion for her to target. She inched through the door way and, with her heart pounding adrenaline into her sense, she proceeded. She was hunting this bastard down. Not much of a prey apparently as he was standing to the left of her about ten yards away. Gun pointed at her and she matched her line of fire to his body and pulled the trigger. _Click._ Shit. Nothing. He grinned.

He could hear steel drums playing hula music and heavily tanned women covered his chest with lotion to avoid burning his pale skin. Oh how sweet this would be. Not so since he too was out of bullets. When he heard the empty click of the hammer landing on nothing to ignite his grin faded. So there they stood with empty guns in their hands pointing at each other. Beckett looked around and patted her body for a clip. Nothing.

The faded grin now was a grimace. He was going to get his paradise if he had to tear out this cop bitches heart! He started to run...

Kate caught a piece of rebar in her sight laying on the ground. Either a lazy construction worker or maybe a deus ex machina from her own mother she wasn't going to ignore the possibilities and in one kicking swooping motion from her leg lifted it up in the air into her hand. Then twirling it like a katana she raised it to attack.

It wasn't long before the fight started Richard Castle was able to voice his agony. Red Death. Overdosing on pharamaceuticals. Cracked ribs and a hyper extended elbow from a killing machine. Trying to cope with the pain he only had one thought left, _so this is what it's like to date Kate Beckett?_ He grabbed his arm and wanted to snap it back in place like in the movies. There was always some bona fide badass able to swallow the pain and restore his range of motion in his clearly destroyed limb in those Bourne movies. Why couldn't he? Because Jason Bourne he was not. It was not on a Bourne film anyway and was probably from one of those movies with Dwayne Johnson in it. Wait. Was it? _Snap out of it. She needs you!_ He rolled over and thus felt the piercing sensation of ribs pressing into his lungs. He was not much help to anyone.

He could hear his mother on the phone. Talking to the 9-1-1 responder and demanding attention. Someone was coming to fix them but his eyes gazed on the destruction. His daughter had been knocked on her ass by the assassin and Jefferson was gasping for air. He would live. Jefferson was bruised but would live. The lady cop, Valdez or something, was on the floor was getting up and was helping Alexis up. Castle's daughter was having a hard time breathing and was most likely bruised somewhere but she would live. The only person he had doubts on surviving was himself. Breathing hurt. Moving hurt and thinking was foggy. _Fuck!_ He wanted to grow ten feet tall and shatter walls with his mind but ridiculously frail mortal coil would not allow it. Grabbing his wounded arm he put weight on his forehead and in a slug like fashion arched his body up to the ceiling.

Martha, fresh with her makeup guacamole, knew he was trying to stand up.

Richard Castle was drugged, broken and demoralized but damnit to hell he was not going to let Beckett do this alone. Somehow raising his body up he started to stand but between the antihistamines and being able to breath and the screaming agony in his arm it just wasn't happening. He collapsed back onto the ground. Banging his head on the ground he could feel his body give up. He wanted to go on. His brain screaming for a miracle. His brain went to a very dark place. He was dying. Alexis would be without him. His mom would fall apart. Kate Beckett was going to be killed by a cold war relic. He had failed. His nightmare was coming true. He rolled onto his back and wanted to explode from the pain but he was in tact. He wanted to cry from his failure but it only caused his pain to worsen. The world was fading from him. His breath shortened. Things were fuzzy now. Fading... fading...

She slapped the sonofabitch right in his abs with all of her might with her rusted, crappy, skinny bar of metal and whether he felt it or not was irrelevant. She wanted him to hurt like nothing on this Earth ever had. Wanted him to be the Jesus Christ of assassins. Suffer the wrath of Kate Beckett you asshole. **I'll be your Ponctious Pilot and you be a martyr for murderers everywhere you monstrous mother fucking animal**.

_Send a message._ The voice was clear. Mom? _Don't mess with my Katherine. _She spun and slammed the metal base into the base of his skull when he leaned over from the previous blow. She was hoping it wasn't done and it surely wasn't.

He'd been hit in the head before and the scrawny cop wielding some rusty thing wasn't going to stop him. He slammed a hand into the gravel on the roof and supported himself. He peaked over his shoulder. Saw her twirl the "sword" and lower it on his back ferociously. He relaxed and went with the blow equally distributing the energy to the ground and rolled into her legs there by knocking her down.

Her face slapped the gravel and it hurt. Not enough to stop her but just enough to snap her out of her rage. She looked for her weapon but it was bent and useless. An impotent sword on the battle field left her without range but she WAS going to kill him. Right here. Right now.

Gorgon snapped his body up and ignored the pain of slapped by rusted iron and raised his body.

Beckett was crawling on her belly trying to get her feeling back on her body. Chest, boobs, abs, pelvis, thighs, knees and ankles all scraping gravel to avenge. She tried to push herself up but she felt her hair tug and body get lighter. He had her. The sharp pain on her skull awakened her to the situation at hand. It wasn't until she saw the concrete off the edge of Castle's loft that she realized he was going to throw her off the building.

Her pupils dialated. There was no flashing of her life in front of her eyes. _Good then that means I'm not dying_.

Valdez was coherent. The paramedics and Ryan were there. "They're on the roof." What little she had caught of the fight? Beckett running out the door. That was it. She caught the writer being put onto a stretcher. She immediately tightened her body and awakened to the situation and ran out the door... to the left.. and up the stairs.

Beckett felt the wind of the city brush her hair. It was like a breath of relief. She closed and snapped her eyelids open. The situation was this:

Gorgon had her.

He could kill her with a flip of the wrist but he hadn't.

She really appreciated the hesitation from him but knew for her heart and soul she couldn't do anything. So instead she spoke. "You killed my mother!"

Gorgon laughed. "I've killed a lot of mothers."

Beckett had not one ounce of sympathy left. Not a drop in her toes. He continued.

"You know when I saw you in the cemetary I thought twice about squeezing the trigger. You looked so much like your mother." That was when her brain snapped. At the edge of the building of the man she loved she decided she was willing to die.

Valdez slammed threw the rooftop door and raised the gun. Nothing. A gust of wind pushed her to the right and she saw the culprit with the Det. Kate Beckett's hair in his left hand. She was holding onto his wrist, trying to alleviate the pain of having her hair pulled by a psychopath, then her silohuette narrowed and twisted to invoke a leg sweep. The killers' legs went out. Then he fell off the building. Taking Kate with him.

Jose Valdez, traffic cop extrodinaire, was scarred from this moment on. Screaming "NNNNNNOOOOO!"


	13. Chapter 13

The fall started off graceful. The air blowing through her hair. Beckett grabbed ahold of the killer falling along her side. Their eyes met and he seemed to be the only one at peace. The end was coming for them both. _Fuck that!_ She pulled him close and they began a partial tumble leaving him beneath her. She head butted him and punched him and wanted to set him on fire with her rage and watch him flail in agony. Then his head hit the wall, scraping a section of his head off and the tumble flipped them again. She caught the window of Castle's loft. She began growling. She was going to die and it was all because of this stupid selfish, murdering psychopath beneath her. The ground closer now. A dumpster directly beneath them gave her a speck of hope. Just maybe...

Valdez reached the edge and caught the end of the fall. Beckett on top and her mother's killer and slamming into the plastic lid of the dumpster. The lid provided no cushion for Dryon but maybe the impact was absorbed just enough to cushion it for Kate. The thunderous pop of trash bags having the air explode out of them might have provided extra cushion again. Then she was on top of massive man that, in comparison, could have been large enough to protect her from direct impact yet again. "Detective!" Her eyes were glued on the Detective's body. What she could see of her anyway. A leg and an arm where the only unsubmerged part in the muck. Valdez ran down the steps and passing the author's room shouted, "They fell off the roof!"

When she reached the bottom step she spotted Ryan with a dozen cops and at least two more ambulances pulling up. Waiving her arms and running towards the corner she couldn't get the words out. She did must have said something because three paramedics immediately followed her around the corner. She got to the dumpster and climbed in without a second thought. Throwing opened bags of trash and food and rotting pieces of New York to the side and in the alleyway she finally got to Beckett and she felt for a pulse. _ Please. Let there be a pulse._

Kate Beckett wasn't dead. She couldn't be. She had just started to live for herself. Before it was always something else she had to sacrifice herself for. She couldn't get in a relationship because of her work. She couldn't pig out and eat like she wanted because she had to stay in shape. For her work. She had to do all of these things for her work. So she could make her mother proud. So when she realized that she might be dead she felt robbed. Seeing her mother sitting on a white loveseat in a white room wearing all white was a clue.

"Mom?"

Johanna Beckett stood up and hugged her. "Don't worry Katie-bear. You are not dead. Although when you wake up in the hospital and try and move your body you might wish you were."

"What happened?"

Her mother smiled wide. "You didn't need to do all this for me Kate. The revenge thing doesn't do anyone any good."

"Please tell me what has happened."

"Honey you fell 8 stories into a dumpster and used about 300 pounds of human being and trash to help break your fall. You have a concussion. Broken collar bone, wrist and femur and while everything else will heal fine you will feel an ache in your shoulder whenever a cold front comes through."

Kate Beckett was stunned. She was speaking to her mother. Wasn't she? Was she-

"No you're not hallucinating and this is not a weird seizure or false memory brought to conscious by trauma. It is me. I was given one more chance with you to ask you something."

Kate could here a beeping sound of a heart monitor in the distance.

"I love you mom and I miss you."

"And I love you but I'm running out of time so please listen."

The monitor was beeping louder and she could hear Castle's voice uttering her name. _Kaattteee._ "Don't go mom."

Johanna Beckett grabbed Kate's shoulders. "Listen to me. I could not be more proud of you now. Please when you get back remember to name the baby after you're father."

Kate was stunned. "I'm pregnant?"

Her mother hugged her "Not yet." She locked eyes with her mother one last time.

Kate's eyes opened and tears trailed down her face. Castle was holding her non broken hand with his left hand. His arm in a sling and himself dragging his own IV.

"Oh my god Kate! You're awake!" He wanted to kiss her but was afraid he could do more harm so he just smiled. Then he saw a rare sight. Kate Beckett, his best friend, partner, soulmate and by far the toughest most stubborn person he ever met began crying. "Are you hurting? What's wrong Kate?" She couldn't speak. The pain was there yes and she indicated it to Castle who called for a nurse but she wasn't crying from the physical pain. Her mom had left her again. She did get to say she missed her mom and maybe that was her way of saying goodbye. Goodbye wouldn't have helped though. It wasn't the final words she wanted. It was that last hug. When she left it was like she had died all over again but this time it was different. Kate's body was cracked and broken but the tears coming out weren't from any wounds. It was from knowing her mother approved of her and that she could go on now. The tears were from missing her mom, true, but now she knew she was doing the right thing for herself.

The nurse injected a medicine into Kate's I.V and a medicated haze began to flow over her. Kate's words finally came out. "Rick?"

"Yes?"

"I love you so much."

"I love you too."

"Rick?"

"Yeah, babe?"

"Did you propose to me earlier?"

"Don't worry about that now."

"Did I say yes?"

Castle didn't want to be cruel but if she was going to say yes to him he sure as hell didn't want it to be was passed out or screaming from the red death or while she was ubermedicated.

"We can talk about that later okay?"

"Richard?"

"Yeah Kate?"

"What'd she give me?"

"Demerol I think."

She paused. She was familiar with the narcotic and how addictive it could be so she had to mind it but at the same time her body welcomed the chance to heal. "Richard?"

"Right here, Kate."

"You are, aren't you."

"Always."

She smiled and faded back to sleep.

**One more chapter to go folks. Thank you for reading. Oh and I've been on demerol one time at a hospital and I got to say it was an awesome experience. The conversation is far more comprehensive in this story but just so you know the one time I got it I was telling the doctor that we had to go cruising for chicks sometime. Just saying.**


	14. Chapter 14

THREE WEEKS LATER

Remy's wasn't very busy tonight so Kate was slightly surprised when the waiter seemed impatient. "Hey lady you gonna order anything?"

She was taken back by his directness but blew it off. Maybe he's had the worst day of his life. Maybe he has a weird mental disorder. Whatever.

"I'm waiting for someone to get here."

"What a coincedence! So am I." The waiter spun and left the vicinity but she heard in the kitchen in the back "No! The hot lady in the corner isn't ordering! I don't know she's just sitting there! I don't know!"

Remy's must be under new ownership. She thought. She immediately focused on her wounds. The cast was making her wrist itch and forearm sore. She wasn't normally nervous about meeting Castle now because being with him was so incredibly right but it was the subject and discussion that followed that made her nervous. He had proposed to her. She had said yes. Kind of. Well not kind of she definitely had said yes but no ring was on her finger and no date was set. That and she doesn't think he heard her say it. There had been at least a dozen times before now she could have been proposed to. Carriage rides. Walks through the park. Moments in the bullpen. Now that everybody knew she was sure he'd make a scene and she was ready for that. She had to admit the suspense and knowing it was coming were driving her crazy. Yet he hadn't done it. Maybe he had doubts. Maybe she wasn't he had hoped for. Her thoughts always came back to that. The whole not good enough thing. She put her unbroken hand to her face and covered it. It was her way to step back and get out of her own head.

She needed him in her life and needed him to come and sit down at the table because the waiter was coming back and didn't look happy. "Lady! You hungry? If not I got some pigeons in the street that could eat this food back here."

"My name isn't lady. It's Kate. _Detective _Kate Beckett with the NYPD and you will get off my ass or I'll cite you for being a public nuisance." Pretty sure she couldn't do that but if it ment shutting him up...

"Detective, eh? Pretty lady like you ain't no detective. If you're a detective I'm a world class chef and either way you still ain't ordering food. Don't you got a law against loitering?"

_Really? He's doing this?_ "What's your name you little pissant?"

The waiter grinned. "My name is cheeseburger with french fries why?"

"You want to get smart with me cheeseburger and french fries?"

"At last! She finally came around and ordered! Hey Mark!" Indicated the chef in the back.

"At last she came along!" Then the lights went down except for the lights in her booth. Then everyone disappeared. It was a trap! A set up! She had missed something with Gorgon and someone else was trying to kill her. _No gun. Shit!_

Then music came on. Strings on a violin hummed their sweet tune and then she heard a beautiful, deep and delicate voice sing.

_At laaaassssttt..._

_ My looovvveee has come along_

Then Alexis walked into the restaurant and put herself in the booth.

"Hi, Kate. We need to talk."

"Alexis what's going on here?"

"Don't worry about that right now okay. Just trust me. I have some questions."

Kate didn't know what to do. Her detective senses didn't register any threat but she was on edge.

"It's about my dad. He has been crazy about you since day one. I see you guys together and you both seem really happy. I just want to know where this is going."

Kate resettled her attention on what she could be saying. Was Alexis coming on to her? What crazy stuff was she doing in college? Maybe she's been brainwashed by some alien conspiracy.

Alexis sensed the confusion and she had to be quick the best part of the song was coming up.

"I guess I want to know Kate do you love my dad?" She waited for a response.

"Yes Alexis. I love your dad. More than I thought I could love the man of my dreams."

Alexis flashed her pearly white teeth with her beautiful smile. "Good because now I have a surprise for you." Etta James was winding down.

Alexis held out her hand. "Come on." Kate took it and hobbled out of the booth. Grabbed her crutch and wobbled out behind Alexis outside the restaurant. "What's going on?" Then Kate raised her head and saw about twenty people standing in the middle of the street in a pattern with their heads down. Then through loud speakers she hadn't noticed before a piano played. The people began dancing together. Nothing extravagent just slidestepping and swaying and gliding. Then Billie Holiday's voice came over...

_The very thought of you_

_ and I forget to do_

_ the very ordinary things_

_ that I ought to do_

"Come with me." Alexis said. She helped Kate to the street when the dancers parted and made room for them. Then Martha stepped onto the street and walked up to Kate and embraced her in a big hug. "Go easy on her Grams, she's still pretty beat up." Alexis' advice was acknowledged and Martha backed off a bit. Kate seemed out of the loop. "Martha? What is going on? Did Castle put you up to this?"

Martha guided the detective to the other side of the street to the sidewalk and began walking north. "Sweetie of course not these are just about a dozen and a half well meaning New Yorkers casually feeling the love in the air is all. That all just happen to be from my performance studio."

"Uh huh to perfectly synced and well meaning music?"

Martha stopped walking along her side and spun the Detective to face her. "Detective Beckett when has my son ever done anything to you out of spite or ill will?"

She opened to respond yet nothing came out. As much as she pretended he bothered her at times she knew she would never do anything intentional to hurt her. "Great so shutup for a few moments and trust that this is all happening for a good reason." She continued walking. Kate and Alexis followed. Then Castle stepped out from around the corner.

He was dressed like he normally was. With a dress shirt and crisp slacks. He approached Kate and with the cool, cocky grin said "Hey." _Damn him._ _He just said one word and I'm grinning like some kind of school girl_. "Rick what the hell are you doing?"

"Me?" He phrased innocently. "I'm not doing anything. I'm just here to watch the show. Come on I have something I want to show you." He guided her out to the middle of the street. _Where the hell was everyone? Why aren't we getting hit by cars or shouted at? _ Then she caught a glimpse of why. Police cars had blocked off a 2 block radius and when she reached the middle of the street she was greeted by a stranger with a lawnchair. "Here," Rick started. "Take a load off. Just enjoy the show." Then a stage wheeled into the intersection. There was a piano and drum kit on it equipped with the musicians to play the instruments. Castle got up on stage and grabbed a microphone and very casually said "Hit it boys."

The music was calm and had a gentle beat and Kate picked up what it was. "Everything" by Michael Buble. About one minute or so into the song when Castle was singing "_I can't believe that I'm __your man and I get to kiss you just because I can!" _he put the microphone back on the stand and put it by the piano player who picked up the song flawlessly. Castle came down off the stage and approached Kate. She was totally flushed and gushing with anticipation. She couldn't stop smiling and damnit if she did fall in love with him all over again. Her heart had officially melted and she had tears fighting their way out of her eyes.

Then Richard Castle pulled her up out of her chair and gave her a kiss. A soft sincere one that reaked of the moment and sweetness. Holding on to her one good hand he put his good hand in his pocket and pulled out a ring box. His eyes glossed over with happiness and she put her good hand to her mouth. She was about to leap right out of her skin and into his arms. She had to wait though for this to go right.

Then he took a knee. "I love you, Kate. You make me the happiest man in the world."

"Just ask me Rick. Please just ask me." Tears of joy had started falling from her eyes.

"I love you more everyday than the last and I'm sincerely excited and want to spend the rest of my life with my soulmate." He took a deep breath. "Kate Beckett. Will you marry me?"

"You bet your ass I will!"

He stood and they kissed. They both had broken bones and degrees of baggage in their life but if these last 6 years taught them nothing else it was that they needed each other to be alright. They made each other better and they definitely were perfect for each other.

THE END.

**Well I will say that I started this to try and get writing again and it was a blast and I definitely intend on starting my own book and I hope it happens as easily as this did. I love all the reviews and if you ever want to see my humor writings just google "Enter the Dojo" I'm a co writer for the webseries. Check it out and don't be a stranger.**


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